A very well worded post, but you don't seem to realise that the mods aren't a democractic group that you've voted into power.
To have taken regular members' opinions as gospel as to how the forum is run isn't very fair, and hints towards an 'Us versus Them' attitude. No one is defending anyone, no one is saying "shut up or leave" - simply get used to it, because the rest of us have and that's why we're still here!
If you aren't getting what you want out of this forum, then you aren't getting behind Bill Clinton's proverbial office desk often enough.
Bum kissing is the way forwar